It’s the bottom of the 8th and the score is tied 0-0. Will Warren went five scoreless innings, followed by strong appearances from Camilo Doval and Luke Weaver. Enter, Devin Williams. Coming into the game, Williams had only blown three saves this season. He hasn’t had great control over his air bender lately (let’s call it what it is; a screwball) but when he does, the pitch is basically unhittable. 29 pitches and two earned runs later, the game is lost. So, what happened to the former Brewers closer and his late inning dominance? Devin Williams continues to struggle, and it isn’t immediately obvious why.
Continuing To Falter
Williams surrendered a game-tying home run in the first game of the series to a slumping Joc Pederson. This marked the fourth appearance in a row that Williams has allowed at least one run. His ERA on the season has swelled to 5.44; a number that no manager wants to see beside his closer’s name. For reference, Devin Williams has allowed 26 earned runs this season. That matches the total amount of runs he allowed in three seasons while in Milwaukee.
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Not as Advertised
The Clay Holmes experiment didn’t work out the way the Yankees had hoped. His pitch-to-contact style was actively harming the team’s chances for wins behind a lack-luster defense. Brian Cashman then did what has become New York’s signature move; he went out and got one of the best closers in the game. What they got, however, didn’t remotely resemble the closer that had dominated the NL Central for the last three years. It may be the pressure of playing in New York, or it just might be the lack of familiarity with the pitching staff. One thing is clear; Devin Williams continues to struggle despite having every opportunity to show that he is, in fact, one of the best.
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Hiding Behind Offense
The Yankees are currently ranked second in the league in runs, twelfth in average, and first in home runs. In other words, they aren’t struggling to score runs. This has, perhaps, masked one of the teams most glaring weaknesses—their pitching. Williams has intermittently struggled throughout the season, but an extremely productive Yankee offense has largely allowed him to make a mistake. Aaron Judge returned to the Yankee lineup last night, so there was every reason to expect an above average offensive night. Obviously that didn’t happen.
Devin Has No Answers
The New York media was just as perplexed after the game. When asked about his performance, Williams said, “I mean, I don’t really know what to say at this point,” which is also the sentiment of nearly everyone else. After yesterday’s loss, the Yankees are in sole possession of third place in the AL East and sit half a game back in the last wild card slot. There are some tough decisions that need to be made. Not the least of which is, how serious is this team?
